Buckle.



No. 817,184. PATBNTED APR. 10, 1906.

E. A. MOMILLIN. BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY3, 1905.

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BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 10, 1906.

Application filed May 3, 1905. Serial No. 258,620.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. MoMILLIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at North Adams, county of Berkshire, and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBuckles, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to such improvements; and it consists of the novelconstrue/ tion and combination of parts hereinafter described andsubsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the acco1npanying drawings and the referencecharacters marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Similar characters refer to similar parts in the several figurestherein.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a View in perspective of a bunch of envelopsbound together by a strap provided with my improved buckle. Fig. 2 is atop plan view of the buckle and connected ends of the strap. Fig. 3 is aside view of the same. Fig. 4 is a crosssection of the same, taken onthe broken line 4 4 in Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a view inperspective of the wireclamping frame detached. Fig. 6 is a view inperspec tive of the base-plate detached.

This invention relates to that class of buckles wherein the strap isadjustable and secured in adjusted position by clam ing the same betweentwo relatively movab le parts forced together by the tension of thestrap itself as distinguished from buckles employing teeth, tongues, orsimilar devices to engage and penetrate the strap.

Theprmcipal object of the invention is to facilitate the constructionand assembling of the parts of the buckle. Other objects of theinvention will appear in connection with the following description.

Referrin to the drawings, wherein the invention is s hown in itspreferred form, 1 represents the base-plate, which is made of sheetmetal stamped out and struck up to the desired form. One of the sideedges of this plate is outwardly retroverted to form a hook 2, and theopposite edge is bent outwardly to form a flange 3, approximatelyperpendicular to the plane of the plate, which flange serves as aresistance-bar. The body of the plate adjacent to said flange-.3 is cutaway at 4 to form a strap-aperture. The opposite ends of the plate areprovided with outwardly-pro jecting lugs or journals 5.

The clamping frame 6 is formed of wire bent up to the desired form andconsists, essentially, of a clamping-bar 7 approximately the length. ofthe baseplate between said lugs or journals 5, and a pair ofbearing-loops 8, formed at the opposite ends of the clamp ing-bar,adapted to loosely embrace and turn upon said lugs or journals 5 on thebase-plate. One end of the strap 9 is provided with an eye 10, adaptedto engage the hook 2 on the base-plate of the buckle. The other end ofthe strap is passed beneath the flanged edge 3 of the base plateupwardly through the strap-aperture 4, around the clamping-bar 7 andback again through the strap-aperture 4 beneath the flange 3. By liftinghandle 12 in Fig. 3 or Fig. 4 and pulling upon the end of the strap thusreturned outside of the buckle the slack in the strap can be easilytaken up to produce any desired degree of tension, and when the pullupon said end of the strap is re lieved the tension of the strap willdraw the clamping-bar toward the flanged edge of the base plate tosecurely clamp the returned end of the strap between said bar andflange, and the reater the tension upon the strap the greater theclamping force exerted to prevent the strap from slipping through thebuckle. As the clamping-bar is thus drawn into close proximity to thelower edge of the flange 3, which is a die-cut edge of sheet metal,around which edge it is necessary for the strap to slip in order torelieve the tension thereupon, it will. readily be seen that suchslipping of the strap is practically prevented by the frictionalresistance due to the abrupt change of direction which the strap mustnecessarily take in passing said flange.

The clamping-frame may be provided with an operating-handle 12, wherebythe frame may be rocked upon the journals 5 to swing the clamping-b arbackwardly away from the flange 3 along a plane or planes approximatelyparallel with the base-plate, thereby relieving the clamping force uponthe strap and permitting the strap to slip freely through the buckle.

By having the journals located on opposite sides of the strap-apertureand in close proximity to the ends of the resistance-bar the revolublemovement of the clamping-bar about the journals when the clamping-frameis operated causes the clamping-bar to move in approximately the sameplane with the base-plate, so that it is drawn horizontally away fromthe resistance bar, which instantly relieves the binding friction of thetape or strap upon the bars, whereas if the journals were located aconsiderable distance from the resistance-bar the clampingbar would bealmost equidistant from the journals, and when the clampingframe wasoperated to release the band the first movements ofthe clam ing-barwould be almost at right angles to the plane of the base-plate, ornearly in a vertical direction.

The band would be forced by such movement to slide across theresistance-bar with comparatively great friction, thus not only makingit diflicult to release the band, but making it necessary to have aconsiderable movement of the clamping-frame to effect such release,whereas with the construction shown and described only a slight movementis necessary to fully release the band, which movement being away fromthe resistance-bar in a nearly horizontal direction is easilyaccomplished by very little frictional resistance of the band upon theresistancebar.

The releasing movement of the clampingframe is indicated by dotted linesin Fig. 3.

My improved construction enables me to construct a buckle essentially oftwo machine made parts which are easily and quickly assembled withoutany structural changes whatever and when so assembled are capable ofmost efflcient operation.

l/Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a buckle, the combination with a base-plate having on one end ahook and on the opposite end a resistance-bar, and on its sidesoppositely-disposed journals respectively adjacent to the ends of theresistancebar and provided with a strap-aperture located intermediatelyof the journals and adj a cent to the resistance-bar between such barand the hook; of a clamping-frame formed of an integral piece of wirecomprising a clamping-bar and a pair of loops at opposite ends of saidbar adapted to loosely embrace and turn upon said journals on thebase-plate, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a buckle base plate having oppositely-disposedjournals, a

strap-aperture located intermediately of the journals andaresistance-bar extending along one side of the plate from one journalto the other, adjacent to said strap-aperture, and a clamping-frameformed of an integral piece of wire comprising a clamping-bar, and apair of loops at opposite ends of said clampingbar adapted to looselyembrace and turn upon said trunnions; of a strap having one of its endsinserted beneath said resistance-bar through the strap-aperture in thebase-plate around said clamping-bar and back through said aperturebeneath said resistancebar; and means for connecting the other end ofsaid strap with said base-plate.

3. In a buckle, the combination with a base-plate formed of a singlepiece of sheet metal having on one end a hook and on the opposite end aresistance-bar and on its sides oppositely-disposed journals andprovided with a strap-aperture located intermediately of and in linewith the ournals and between the resistance-bar and hook; of aclampingframe comprising a clamping-bar and at opposite ends thereof apair of loops adapted to loosely receive and turn upon said journals,substantially as described.

4. The combination with a buckle comprising a sheet-metal base-plate, 1,having the upturned edge flange, 3, journals, 5, 5, adj acent to suchflange and hook, 2, and provided with a strap-aperture, 4, locatedintermediately of the ournals,'and the clampingframe comprising thecross-bar, 7, loops, 8 8, loosely embracing the respective ournals onthe base-plate and an operating-handle 12; of a strap having one endprovided with an eye adapted to engage said hook on the baseplate andhaving its other end passed beneath the base-plate and flange, 3, upthrough the strap-aperture around the clamping-bar, 7, and back throughsaid aperture beneath said flange.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 2d day ofFebruary, 1905.

EDl/VARD A. MoMILLIN.

W'itnesses FRANK C. CURTIS, E. M. OREILLY.

